Hello. One of Blue's family members is having a medical emergency and as a result Blue will be unavailable for the next 2-3 weeks (estimated.) I know you are still waiting on some prizes, but they will need to go on hold for now. Thank you for your understanding.
arboretum_amy
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MORPHOLOGY OF IMMATURES OF APHODIUS
(NEOCALAPHODIUS) MOESTUS (FABRICIUS, 1801)
(COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE: APHODINAE)
https://www.munisentzool.org/yayin/vol13/issue2/vol13issue2-9494592.pdf
botswanabugs
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Saturday Jeff Coll and @easmeds and I are off for field season to see if we can clean up a few of the last remaining species we need. We're doing a whirlwind trip down south through Arizona, New Mexico, up into Colorado and back through Utah. We are hoping to find:
O. georgi near Prescott, AZ
O. sugdeni in Orangeville, UT (long-shot, but hey)
O. schaefferi in Cedar City, UT
O. tanneri near Mesa Verde, CO
O. formosa anywhere in UT
A few others we're hoping for are type location O. bella, O. gibbera, and Platypedia mohavaensis
In other news Okanagana canadensis and O. magnifica now have 100+ observations, which means they'll be added to the AI training! O. rimosa is 4 away, so it should hit the mark easily in the next few weeks.
We are now down to 7 species left that we no specimens for whatsoever. And 2 of those are sketchy.
The Dragonfly Society of the Americas is holding an Odonate (dragonfly and damselfly) bioblitz starting this Saturday, June 19th, through Sunday, June 27th. The event takes place over the entire western hemisphere. My local Texas Master Naturalist chapter had a practice run last week and we had a lot of fun!
To participate in the Odolympics, you MUST have an Odonata Central account. After registering, you can import your iNat observations to the OC website.
Event details here: https://www.odonatacentral.org/odolympics/#/
cosmiccat
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3 observações
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For my observation on the lemon grass, I saw this organism in the front of the house. Initially, I could not decide what plant it was. I initially assumed lemon grass but I had other interesting suggestions to work with, and expert feedback that led me to eventually concluded it is most likely a hybrid plant. I did not have many challenges observing this plant. My major struggle was obtaining clear professional photos.
My biggest challenge during this experiment in general was actually learning to take professional photos; that were clear and could properly show my observations. Eventually I got a hang of it. Personally one thing I like about this plant is though it is quite small, it adds to the beauty of the front yard. I may be the only one who think so- the last time I showed my aunt a photo to assist me decide on the specie name she called it weed. I laughed so hard. Although it may seem like weed to some, I definitely think waking up every morning to a small beautiful plant sitting in the front yard- adds to that fresh morning feel. The taxonomy of this plant is listed below:
Plants Kingdom Plantae
Vascular Plants Phylum Tracheophyta
Flowering Plants Subphylum Angiospermae
Monocots Class Liliopsida
Grasses, Sedges, Cattails, and Allies Order Poales
Grasses Family Poaceae
Subfamily Panicoideae
Tribe Andropogoneae
Subtribe Anthistiriinae
Genus Cymbopogon
Lemon Grass Cymbopogon citratus
My second observation was the Tigrosa Annexa spider. For this observation, I had to carefully stand closest I could to the organism to avoid getting discovered. The organism was moving across the dining corners at night. I tried as best I could to take clear photos using my flash and zoom options on my phone. As soon as I the light hit the organism the organism stopped moving and remained in one position. I assumed this was a response to the sudden change perceived as imminent danger. I was intrigued by the body cover of this specie (considering I had never seen a spider up close). It had beautiful black markings on its back. This organism is extremely quiet, moves swiftly and is barely seen. Evidence of physical presence may be from the presence of spider eggs which I recently just saw, webbing or physical view. It is not easily spotted owing to its body size. Below is the taxonomy for this organism. Personally, I do not like spiders. I am a bit content the organism is difficult to identify.
Animals Kingdom Animalia
Arthropods Phylum Arthropoda
Chelicerates Subphylum Chelicerata
Arachnids Class Arachnida
Spiders Order Araneae
Typical Spiders Suborder Araneomorphae
Entelegyne Spiders Infraorder Entelegynae
Wolf Spiders and Allies Superfamily Lycosoidea
Wolf Spiders Family Lycosidae
Subfamily Lycosinae
Genus Tigrosa
Tigrosa annexa
The periodical cicadas are another very exciting specie. These organisms do not appear until a 13-17 year period. The cicadas in my direct environment had round, red slightly bulging eyes. Their motion is swift and loud, wings leathery and clear. I had never seen the periodical cicadas before this year and remember wondering what they were. I was out in the sun taking photos when one flew so loudly by me and made me jump up in fear. I followed it and saw it rest on grass. I took my phone and carefully recorded it's motion on the grass. It was not challenging to record as organism stood clear in the day light. Although the organism flew swiftly, its motion on the grass was observable and I could see its distinct external features. Aside being absolutely everywhere almost like a locust invasion, the periodical cicadas were extremely loud with their buzz. Coming home every afternoon it sounded like there was a cicada music festival coming from the woods behind the house. It was extremely loud and rhythmic; not loud enough to interrupt an afternoon nap but loud that one can follow the sound tapping feet.
Taxonomy
Animals Kingdom Animalia
Arthropods Phylum Arthropoda
Hexapods Subphylum Hexapoda
Insects Class Insecta
Winged and Once-winged Insects Subclass Pterygota
True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and Allies Order Hemiptera
True Hoppers Suborder Auchenorrhyncha
Spittlebugs, Cicadas, Leafhoppers and Treehoppers Infraorder Cicadomorpha
Cicadas Superfamily Cicadoidea
Typical Cicadas Family Cicadidae
Largeclasper Cicadas Subfamily Cicadettinae
Widehead Cicadas Tribe Lamotialnini
Periodical Cicadas Genus Magicicada.
The next observation I will be discussing is the mushroom, Agaric bisporus. This mushroom was found in the refrigerator of my home. It was a newly purchased packet of edible mushroom from the grocery store. I easily took photos of this but was intrigued by the sliced form; there appeared to some cilia like black structures on the left piece of mushroom in the packet. I kept wondering what that was and comparing the image to a photo of a mushroom I had seen in the text book. There seemed to be no real similarity but again, there are different species of the same organism. This mushroom was used by my adopted sister to make casserole, oh my! I absolutely loved it. Before that day, I was reluctant to try mushrooms in a dish and often refused soups my mom made back in Nigeria. I did not realize there were mushrooms in the casserole when I started eating it and when I did, it was too late to turn back. I absolutely think mushrooms are delicious in food.
Kingdom Fungi (Fungi Including Lichens)
Fungi Phylum Basidiomycota (Basidiomycete Fungi )
Higher Basidiomycetes Subphylum Agaricomycotina
Class Agaricomycetes
Subclass Agaricomycetidae
Common Gilled Mushrooms and Allies Order Agaricales
Suborder Agaricineae
Field Mushrooms and Allies Family Agaricaceae
Field and Button Mushrooms Genus Agaricus
Agaricus Subg. Pseudochitonius Subgenus Pseudochitonia
Agaricus Sect. Bivelares Section Bivelares
White Button Mushroom Agaricus bisporus
Genus Rosa is my final discussion in this journal post. It is a hybrid plant (as advised by an expert) so I was unable to get down to the specie. For this observation, I was drawn to use this plant because it was colorful and the only pink plant within the yard. I stared closely wondering what plant it was; it was difficult to tell because my plant way dying and the edge turned brown. This plant did not have a fragrance, but still attracted bees, wasps and several other insects. In the first week of this class we had an online assignment where we had to identify arthropods. I saw a good number of arthropods I learned about on this plant. From bees to wasps to bug. It was a very interesting time watching the insects perch and fly or sometimes rest on longer periods.
Plants Kingdom Plantae
Vascular Plants Phylum Tracheophyta
Flowering Plants Subphylum Angiospermae
Dicots Class Magnoliopsida
Roses, Elms, Figs, and Allies Order Rosales
Rose Family Family Rosaceae
Subfamily Rosoideae
Tribe Roseae
Roses Genus Rosa
For my second nature walk, I decided to stay in my neighborhood because I thought it would be cool to observe all the plants around me. It was a beautiful day outside. It was 85 degrees and sunny without a single cloud in the sky. I walked just about 2 miles over a 35-40 minute period. Throughout the tenure of my walk, I noticed several things. I thought I would have had to look harder and deeper into properties to find these plants, but I noticed most of them were right there in the open. Similarly, I noticed a large number of insects and flies. For example, I noticed with the more colorful plants that more bees would be present, most likely using them as pollinators. In addition, I noticed that I enjoy the more simple plants. For example, my favorite was the singular dandelion I found amongst a bunch of other plants.
depasquale_m
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8 observações
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There are so many interesting species that can pop up in your yard. After having some time, several species of plants came out of the ground. While I usually would just assume that all the species growing were just weeds and needed to get cut down, this gave me an appreciation for the nature that can be seen just in my backyard. Seeing the Rhodophiala bilida, or Oxblood Lily was especially nice because it contrasted so much with the usual weeds seen in our yard. While the Plantago virginica and the Torilis arvensis were interesting, I definitely paid more attention to the Oxblood Lily.
i-wheeler
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3 observações
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Mainly as bookmarks from anasacuta, https://www.inaturalist.org/people/1676835 but also in case it is useful to others, I list below some identification resources.
LAND SNAILS
Mainly as bookmarks from https://www.inaturalist.org/people/1676835 but also in case it is useful to others, I list below some identification resources.
180-Field Identification Mollusks & shells from Ana
I have lived in this neighborhood for several years and this was the first time I saw this animal up close. I'm pretty sure I've seen different species of heron flying during the day so obviously they couldn't be the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. I am a bit curious on what Nyctanassa violacea found in our neighborhood, considering we don't have any water flowing through it, like a river or a lake. We get flood water that will get mosquito larvae at best. I thought it would prefer something like crawfish or crabs based off the reading given off of iNaturalist. The ones in my area were probably living off of insects and frogs or traveling very far to get other sources of food.
i-wheeler
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1 observação
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While cutting the grass, I came across a Great-tailed Grackle. It lowered down from the fence a few times and found something to eat from the ground I just cleared. The bird is called Quiscalus mexicanus and I think it's one of the cooler animals that I came across. It wasn't intimidated by me and just watched while I cut the lawn and took pictures of it. I think that this was one of the more difficult shots I had to take because it was a bird. It's rather small and was just hopping around doing it's own thing. But I ended up getting good enough pictures to get identified.
i-wheeler
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1 observação
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Calling all Ode Enthusiastists.
Odonate survey of the entire Western Hemisphere.
The Odolympics starts in June (19 - 27 June 2021).
Calling all Ode Enthusiastists.
The Odolympics starts in June (19 - 27 June 2021).
Today I did my nature walk at Schlegel Lake in Washington Township, NJ. I go running around this lake all the time so I have grown almost used to the scenery and rarely ever embrace it. So, today I set out to change that. I went around the lake and tried to investigate all of the plant life around it. The weather was about 75º F and it was very sunny. I was really looking for some colorful plants but actually couldn't find any that were there naturally. So, there's a lot of green in today's observations. I also included a picture of a deer I saw walking around just to show some of the other life around that probably utilizes these plants often. I was in a wooded area for about 15 minutes and couldn't find too much plant diversity. On the tail end of my walk around the lake, I actually found what I think is some sort of fern that would fit into the heterospory group. I also found a tree that seemed to be bearing some sort of fruit which I believe is a type of peach.
aidandaly
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8 observações
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Search for "CMC Arthropods" in projects to join. For the months of July and August, make observations of as many arthropods around the Greater Cincinnati area as possible! Be curious and see the variety of small friends, no matter the number of legs, that are in your area. While you make your observations keep an eye out for if it is a native or introduced species, but be sure to log everything you find!
Photo by © Gaby Biordi
cmcofficial
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I define the bleeze as any feature of animal colouration showing so much pale/dark contrast, at such large scale, that the whole figure is obvious to scanning predators even when it remains stationary. Such advertisement is interesting adaptively because it defies a basic strategy of prey species in avoiding detection.
The gazelle genus Nanger shows how complex it can be to identify bleezes among the species, subspecies, ages and sexes in ungulates. Once such a classification is made we can begin to weigh the evolutionary costs and benefits of the conspicuous colouration.
All individuals of Nanger granti including standing infants show a combination of whitish buttocks and blackish pygal bands. Its position on the hindquarters means that this pattern qualifies as a bleeze only in posteriolateral view. Therefore Nanger granti can be classified as a species consistently possessing a posteriolateral bleeze. However, this is the only clear case in this genus.
A posteriolateral bleeze also occurs in Nanger dama, but only in subspecies mhorr and excluding infants even in this subspecies. The whitish on the rump and buttocks is more extensive than in Nanger granti, but the bleeze remains somewhat ambivalent because, in the absence of pygal bands, the darkest adjacent fur is only moderately dark (see second photo in https://www.cbd-habitat.com/en/2019/07/02/the-first-reintroduction-project-for-mhorr-gazelle-into-the-wild/).
Juveniles of Nanger granti granti and Nanger granti notata temporarily develop a blackish flank-band, contrasting with both the whitish ventral torso below and the pale flank-band above (see https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/thomsons-or-grants-gazelle.376153/ and accompanying discussion). This lateral bleeze disappears in all adult males but is retained by some adult female individuals of Nanger granti notata. Nanger dama mhorr may qualify for a different pattern of lateral bleeze, but this is ambivalent because there are no flank-bands.
Nanger soemmerringi lacks any posteriolateral or lateral bleezes because no photo shows sufficient dark on the hindquarters or flanks. However, in at least one subspecies the front of the face in maturity becomes dark enough to contrast with the pale throat and facial stripe (see https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/soemmerrings-gazelle-gm1072202986-286932026 and https://www.biolib.cz/en/image/id359466/ and https://www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/34068652491). If this pattern is large-scale enough to qualify as a bleeze, it can be called a frontal bleeze.
A frontal bleeze is once again ambivalent in the case of Nanger dama mhorr (see https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Nanger). Although the front of the face becomes whitish in adulthood, the adjacent throat is only moderately dark.
What a good feeling it is to see the juvenile bulbs and blades of our beloved kelp growing steadily this summer. Our team will be out a lot this next month conducting surface surveys, so keep an eye out for those observations to be added! Remember when adding your own nereo observations, use "PSRF wrack", "PSRF juvenile attached"< or "PSRF surface" tags to help us sort through the observations, and to add each observation to our project to ensure we see it!
Semillero Oliváceo
Cuclillo canelo
gzepeda
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2 observações
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20210616 1700-1830 returned to 10 poles near the rocks of K̲uuG̲a Sk̲'aaG̲usG̲as one kilometre north of HlG̲aagilda (Skidegate). This time, instead of walking the highway, I walked the shoreline with the hope of finding some Charadriiformes. The retreating tide had left a large build-up of eelgrass teeming with bugs, and I was particularly interested in finding waders. Unfortunately this strategy didn't pay off very well. I couldn't even see any seagulls. Below is the list of birds I heard during my walk, which largely reflects yesterday's list.
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
Species: H. leucocephalus
Bald eagle
Seen gliding high overhead in wind.
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Corvus
Species: C. corax
Common raven
Seen gliding high overhead in wind.
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Genus: Troglodytes
Species: T. pacificuss
Pacific wren
Identified by song.
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Catharus
Species: C. ustulatus
Swainson's thrush
Identified by its distinct song.
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Species: T. migratorius
American robin
Identified by its song.
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
Species: P. atricapillus
Chestnut-backed chickadee
Identified by song.
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Hirundo
Species: H. rustica
Barn swallow
Identified by sight.
It was a 1933 letter from Jean Harper to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt which lead to the protection of the Okefenokee Swamp as a National Wildlife Refuge. The efforts and studies of Harper and her husband, Francis, have preserved a treasure for generations:
© Photographer: William Wise | iNat Observation: 35508091 American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, swimming in tannin stained black water swamp of Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA. March 6, 2017.
Dear Mr. Roosevelt: there is a matter that needs your immediate attention - the preservation of the Okefinokee Swamp. Perhaps you may recall that a few years ago, Francis sent you some of his reprints on the swamp. For twenty odd years naturalist and nature-lovers have been working for the preservation of this marvelous wilderness; unique in its nature not only in this country, but in the world. The character of its fauna, its flora, and its human life is unsurpassed.
Two years ago the Senate Committee on Wild Life Resources visited the Okefinokee and submitted the report recommending its purchase as a national wild-life refuge. But because of the depression, nothing further has been done.
We now learn of the project to put a ship canal through the swamp. You will know what this would mean to the beauty of the area to the wild life. The destruction that would thus be brought on is unthinkable. Our hope lies in you to stop the project before it goes farther, and spend the money in the purchase of the swamp for a reservation, where beauty and scientific interest may be preserved for all time.
Sincerely, Jean Sherwood Harper
williamwisephoto
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She has used our rock pile as a den site for at least 4 years. Just saw her 2 cubs for the season.
They were subteen but not babies. Tried to take picture of the two cubs but sim card wasn't in the camera.
First year I was aware of the rock pile as a den site I got between mother fox and one of her very little babies.
She hissed at me. That year I saw her move babies by mouth carrying.
通りかかった公園で休憩ついでの散策。
公園と言っても山裾なので植栽したものと野生の植生が入り混じっている。
ちょうどドクダミの花が満開で、所によって群生していた。
ホオノキの葉の下をくぐって少し水の気配のある場所に通りかかる。
ムラサキシキブと思しき蕾やイヌトウバナらしき葉も見つかった。
黄色い花を咲かせていたのはキツネノボタンだろうか。
通りかかった所にススキの葉が伸びていて気になった。
ススキなんて以前だったら邪魔者扱いで気にも留めなかったけれど、最近はセイタカアワダチソウに勢力図を書き換えられてしまっている。
大きな葉が密生していたのは水芭蕉だったようだ。
群生したホタルブクロの花はなかなか見事だった。
これらは植栽されたものだろう。
公園の植栽に在来の山野草を取り入れるのは興味深いと思う。
kazmoom
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1 observação
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in case you missed it a new type of annotation called Evidence of Presence has just been introduced to iNaturalist, and originated from suggestions by members of the iNaturalist community. Check out the forum post about it!
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/new-annotation-evidence-of-presence/23945
The criteria we used to decide which types of evidence to include for the rollout:
Will most people understand what the term means?
Is it commonly observed and relevant to a broad group of taxa?
Will it noticeably improve parts of iNaturalist such as the taxon photo browser, searches, or collection projects?
Evidence of Presence annotations will only appear for observations within Kingdom Animalia 1 (except for humans), and there are six possible values at launch, defined as follows:
Organism: Whole or partial organism.
Scat: Fecal matter (not owl pellets or other regurgitated matter).
Track: Impression in ground or snow made by an organism.
Feather (within Aves only): One or more feathers not attached to an organism.
Molt (within Arthropoda and Reptilia only): Discarded skin or exoskeleton.
Bone (within Vertebrata only): Predominantly endoskeletal remains. Partial bone exposure in an otherwise intact organism should be labeled “organism”.
| breeding | possible | probable | confirmed | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of species | 29 | 10 | 48 | 87 |
| confirmed breeding | probable breeding | possible breeding | unconfirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada Goose
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American Wigeon
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Sharp-tailed Grouse
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Vesper Sparrow (82%)
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the map
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/maps/pdf/14PA56.pdf
the summary results 2010-2014
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/summaryform.jsp?squareID=14PA56&start=-1&lang=en
marykrieger
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Eneco verkoopt vanaf 2025 geen losse hr-ketels meer die alleen op aardgas kunnen draaien. Waterstof-ready-ketels, ketels in een hybride opstelling en wisselketels blijven wel in het het schap liggen.
Dat staat in het One Planet plan dat Eneco dinsdag heeft gepresenteerd. In dat plan maakt Eneco duidelijk hoe het bedrijf zijn eigen bedrijfsvoering en ook alle energie die het levert energieneutraal wil maken, uiterlijk 2035. “Aangezien de levensduur van een nieuwe cv-gasketel onze ambitie in 2035 kan overschrijden, stopt Eneco uiterlijk in 2025 met de losse verkoop hiervan”, aldus Eneco.
Op dit moment verkoopt Eneco nog twee Remeha-modellen en vier Intergas-toestellen via de eigen website. Daar komt in 2025 dus een einde aan. Op zijn minst zullen de ketels dan H2-ready moeten zijn. Voor Remeha en Intergas zou dit geen probleem moeten zijn. Remeha heeft met zijn Hydra al een waterstofketel ontwikkeld en Intergas heeft ook al een prototype klaar.
Ook op de gasketel in combinatie met een lucht/water-warmtepomp, de hybride warmtepomp, zal zwaar ingezet worden, net als de all-electric warmtepomp. Eneco zet in op 45.000 (hybride) warmtepompen per jaar in 2025 en vanaf 2027 gaat dit naar 60.000 installaties per jaar. “De hybride warmtepomp wordt de komende jaren al een betaalbare optie. De verwachting is dat de terugverdientijd van de investering terugloopt naar 6 tot 8 jaar in 2025.”
Ten slotte gaat Eneco ook ‘wisselketels‘ aanbieden: daarbij kan de klant een hr-gasketel huren, die Eneco voor 2035 omwisselt naar volledig duurzame oplossing (warmtenet, warmte-pomp of levering van hernieuwbare gassen).
Eneco heeft naar eigen zeggen “honderdduizenden” ketels in onderhoud, door eigen monteurs en door aangesloten onderhoudsbedrijven. Een woordvoerder laat weten dat dat gewoon doorgaat.
Eneco’s One Planet is in lijn met het voorstel aan het nieuw te vormen kabinet eerder dit jaar van Techniek Nederland, Natuur & Milieu en Netbeheer Nederland. Voorzitter Doekle Terpstra: “Als we op koers willen blijven voor de klimaatdoelen, zijn hybride warmtepompen onmisbaar. Dat geldt overigens ook voor andere duurzame verwarmingsopties zoals warmtenetten, groen gas, groene waterstof, aquathermie (energie uit water) en geothermie (bodemenergie). We hebben alle duurzame energieopties nodig.”
184-Eneco HR Ready
Hello!
I just added the Blue Dasher Bog as another location for the BioBlitz after our bog field trip through the Friends of the Sax-Zim Bog. It's a really neat place- including a floating bog that doesn't get a lot of visitors! Check it out!
borealbecca
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Join the Ecology Ottawa community this weekend as we try to observe and document as many natural observations in our city as possible.
Participating is easy! Here are some helpful instructions:
You have made it to our Project Journal, so it is safe to assume you have already joined Ecology Ottawa’s
iNaturalist Project. Step 1 done!
Take a picture of your observations. You can take a picture on the iNaturalist app or you can upload them
onto iNaturalist from your photo library.
Since you have joined the Ecology Ottawa project, your observations will automatically be added to our
Bioblitz! Just make sure to put your location down when you’re adding your observations.
That is it! It's that easy.
biodiversity_ecologyottawa
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Questions about the GSB 2021.
This augments but does not replace the FAQ here: https://greatsouthernbiobl.wixsite.com/website/faq
Add your questions below as a comment, and we will answer them here.
botswanabugs
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botswanabugs
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I am so excited for this year's Odoympics Citizen Science project run. I have been at the BioBlitz thing for a long time. I have done at some of the local parks and have been a huge participant in the City Nature Challenge in the DFW area since we began it back in 2017. What can I say I love the BioBlitz life. It is vital and very important to understand the ecology of small areas and even the big picture. However I have not just done a BioBlitz on one type of thing. Sure I have done the annual Pollinator BioBlitz however that has quite a range. With this one it is looking for Dragonflies and a lot of them. I have seen quite a few this year so far. However I have to say I think there has been a kind of decline in numbers. That may just be me and maybe only in some areas. I went to a few ponds to get some what of a warmup going however some areas don't have that many species but it is not peak season for many yet. I am going to give it as much gas as I can on this one. I will be doing some camps when this is going on but I will be able to keep it up as the week goes on and even on the weekend. I have been trying to find a bunch of different ones this year so far. This will be very interesting. I have been a major Ode fan for a while now. It was when I was with @brentano and @sambiology that day at Oliver Nature Park that I started to really get into them. After a while I have been on a few guided dragonfly hikes with them but mostly when I am on my solo adventures or with my family on vacation I try to find as many as I can. I love Dragonflies and Damselflies. When it comes to insects my biggest loves are Odes, Lepidoptera (both butterflies and moths), I also like Beetles, Planthoppers, tree, and leafhoppers are really growing on me. I love a lot of insects though. This Odolympics thing will be very interesting to participate in. I mean when there is a BioBlitz that I can make I will do it. I mean Citizen Science should be regarded as a civic duty that should be taken more seriously by some folks. I mean don't over do it but yes citizen science is the best way to help our in lab/ field scientists when they are in a jam and can't get out and about. It is also good as a bit of extra education and even public service. I don't know that is just me. Call me an idealist in some cases. I mean I have been totally involved with citizen science and I love it. I mean it may not be the most important thing on many people's scopes but with me it is a way to learn about the local ecology and to see how science is done in the field and how it plays out in real time. I also like how you connect with those around you. It is all about community and how we share our connections with nature.
With the snow storm that hit Texas in mind that has been the question on my mind; what has been hit badly and what has not??? I have seen some odd trends. I have seen a lot less dragonflies in some areas and I am not saying that declines are state wide but there are areas that have seen their own declines in population. I have seen a rise in some species and in some groups. Leafhoppers and things have been quite the common thing even the weevils have been out and about. Some things since their season is not yet peaked it is not certain if some species have been having it rough or not. In Texas I have seen very few dragonflies. However I did take a day trip to the Broken Bow area and got some really interesting dragons and damsels around. I also went out to Gus Engling early on and got some that I normally see way later. So with this said one of my biggest things I will be looking at are the trends not only of the groups as a whole but which species are more plentiful and which ones are not. I am planning to go to Georgia and Florida and this could be a good thing to look back in the data record and see what had been seen the most of. I always make it a point before on any of my trips or outings to check local, state, or national park data and see what things are the most common and so on. Going out to the swamplands of North America is something I have always wanted to do with my iNatting. I went when I was a kid but I was not doing this so it was kind of a bummer not to have photographic records of things. So most of the trips I take if I have been around are just to pick up the pieces and rekindle that memory and see how it has changed as well as trying to find things I have seen before.
This will be good for in some areas there is very little data in some states so this will give people a chance to pitch in and put some more observations in- in mass. That is another cool thing that I like about BioBlitzes when we do them we get things in big batches and this helps a lot. When one person is out doing a solo mission it can be hard to get a ton of data but the more eyes you have and the more images others take the more the big picture becomes clear. I know I am preaching to choir on this but I like to put all my ideas down to kind of get my thought process together and to understand what the mission is and to remind myself why we do these and what doing it means for our planet and our mission in natural understanding and conservation. I will be doing my part and I will be on the look out. I will be doing some camps with kids at River Legacy however I will be outside and lot and when we are looking for wildlife you can bet I will be looking for odes. Even after my shifts I will be going out and looking around. I am just a BioBlitz loving freak and that is the way I prefer it. Being a freak of nature just makes us awesome. Being a bit weird and mad and obsessive about things are just a few side effects of being awesomely nerdy. This will be most interesting. This is going to be neat. Now don't get me wrong I will take pictures of all I get but more focus on the Odonata species. This shall be most interesting.
galactic_bug_man
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